The invention relates to a method and a device for attaching an elevator guide rail in an elevator shaft.
Guide rails are used for guiding objects, i.e. for guiding elevator cars. Generally, several guide rails are connected to form a longitudinal rail section, with the guide rails being individually installed on the base using fixing devices. The elevator cars are moved hanging from cables and are guided along the rail section using guide wheels. The straightness of the guide rails is important for ensuring a comfortable ride. Where the guide rails are not absolutely straight this will lead to vibrations in the elevator car. These vibrations are particularly noticeable in case of long rail sections and fast elevator cars, as used, for instance, in high buildings, where these vibrations are perceived as disadvantageous by passengers.
The straightness of the rail section is influenced by a variety of interfering forces, such as the contraction of the building in which the rail section is installed, compression or deformation of the rail section by the operating load, deformation of the rail section by wind load, thermal expansion of the rail section or of the fixing devices, etc.
In order to eliminate these adverse effects, efforts are made to install the guide rails in such a way that only movement in the longitudinal direction of the rail section is possible between the guide rails and the fixing devices, whilst any movement in transverse direction to the rail section is prevented.
European patent document EP 0 448 839 shows in this respect a device for attaching a guide rail, in which the guide rail with a rail base is positioned laterally against brackets, with the brackets protruding partially over the rail base and pressing the guide rail onto the substrate with the back of the rail base. The brackets also contain spring assemblies, radially pressing the pretensioned guide rail, i.e. on one plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, onto the substrate. The pretensioning force is set with interchangeable spacer blocks in the brackets and an interchangeable support lining between the back of the rail base and the substrate.
As another prior art example, European patent document EP 0 763 494 shows a procedure and a device for attaching a guide rail, in which the rail base is laterally held by holding elements, whilst clamping elements, partially projecting over the rail base, radially guide the guide rail with a predetermined play, i.e. on a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail in relation to the substrate, to prevent the guide rail from lifting off the substrate. The play between the clamping elements and the top of the rail base is adjusted with adjusting nuts. The adjusting nuts are screwed onto threaded bolts of the holding elements and are adjustable on the thread sections of the threaded bolts. The thus set and predetermined play is secured with a securing means.